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Hourly Museum Curator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Museum Curator

Natchitoches, LA · On-site +1

$74K - $97K/yr

Summary You will serve as a Museum Curator for the Cane River Creole National Historic Park. Cane River Creole National Historical Park consists of two non-contiguous plantation units located ...

New

IDGC Museum Curator (Short-term contract position) Responsible to: IDGC Manager Background: The Professional Disc Golf Association (PDGA) is a player-run international nonprofit organization. There ...

POSITION SUMMARY The Museum Curator and Caretakeris responsible forpreserving, interpreting, andshowcasingthe museum's collection of antique and historically significant automobiles. This role ...

Job Type Full-time Description The National WWII Museum is currently seeking a Curator. Reporting to the Senior Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, the Curator is a vital member of the ...

CURATOR 2

Carson City, NV · On-site

$59K - $87K/yr

Job Summary The Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City, is seeking a Curator of Education (Curator 2). As part of the Department of Tourism & Cultural Affairs, the museum relies on this position ...

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Hourly Museum Curator information

See salary details

$28K

$76.3K

$135.5K

How much do hourly museum curator jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for hourly museum curator in the United States is $76,262.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $59,500.00 and $84,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are hourly museum curators?

Hourly museum curators are professionals who oversee and manage collections, exhibitions, and educational programs in museums while being compensated on an hourly basis rather than a salaried position. Their responsibilities often include researching artifacts, organizing displays, and ensuring the proper care and documentation of collections. Hourly curators may work part-time or on a project basis, providing flexibility for both the museum and the employee. This type of arrangement is common in smaller museums or for special exhibitions where full-time staff are not required.

What are some common challenges faced by hourly museum curators, and how can they effectively manage their responsibilities within limited shifts?

Hourly museum curators often face the challenge of balancing a diverse set of responsibilities—such as exhibit maintenance, artifact documentation, and visitor engagement—within a limited time frame. Prioritizing tasks, maintaining clear communication with full-time staff, and staying organized are key to managing these demands effectively. Additionally, hourly curators may need to adapt quickly to changing schedules or exhibit needs, making flexibility and time management essential skills. Collaborating closely with other museum professionals can help ensure continuity and uphold the museum's standards, even when working part-time.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Hourly Museum Curator, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Hourly Museum Curator, you need expertise in art history or museum studies, experience with collections management, and usually at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Familiarity with cataloging software, digital archives, and basic conservation tools is often required. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and effective public communication help curators engage visitors and manage exhibits efficiently. These skills ensure the preservation of artifacts, compelling educational experiences, and smooth museum operations.

What is the difference between Hourly Museum Curator vs Part-Time Museum Assistant?

AspectHourly Museum CuratorPart-Time Museum Assistant
ResponsibilitiesOversees exhibits, conducts research, manages collectionsAssists with daily operations, visitor services, and basic exhibit setup
CredentialsBachelor's degree in history, art, or related field; experience in curationHigh school diploma or equivalent; on-the-job training
Work EnvironmentMuseum galleries, offices, research areasMuseum front desk, galleries, event spaces
Employment TypeTypically hourly, may be full or part-timePart-time, hourly

The Hourly Museum Curator and Part-Time Museum Assistant roles differ mainly in responsibilities and required experience. Curators handle research and collections management, while assistants support daily operations. Both roles are often hourly and part-time, but curators usually need specialized education and experience, whereas assistants require less formal credentials.

What cities are hiring for Hourly Museum Curator jobs? Cities with the most Hourly Museum Curator job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Museum Curator jobs? The most popular types of Museum Curator jobs are:
What states have the most Hourly Museum Curator jobs? States with the most job openings for Hourly Museum Curator jobs include:
Infographic showing various Hourly Museum Curator job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 18% Locum Tenens, 46% As Needed, 4% Full Time, 1% Part Time, 30% Nights, and 1% Summer. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $76,262 per year, or $36.7 per hour.

Museum Curator

National Park Service

Natchitoches, LA • On-site, Remote

$74K - $97K/yr

Full-time

Posted 2 days ago

New


National Park Service rating

7.6

Company rating: 7.6 out of 10

Based on 98 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

124th of 288 rated public sector bodies


Job description

Summary
You will serve as a Museum Curator for the Cane River Creole National Historic Park. Cane River Creole National Historical Park consists of two non-contiguous plantation units located approximately ten miles apart in southern Natchitoches Parish. The park plantation units include 60+ historic structures and two cultural landscapes totaling 62 acres within a historic agricultural setting along Cane River.
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Duties
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At the full performance level (GS-11) the major duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:
  • Provide direction over extensive museum collections across multiple parks units and ensures that the museum management program is in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, policy, and ethics.
  • Develop multi-park museum-related planning documents, project scopes, and funding requests.
  • Maintain the appropriate environment for museum collections, including housing, climate, fire protection, and security.
  • Conduct research to catalog museum items and interpret them to the public through exhibits, articles, and other educational and outreach efforts.
  • Ensure accountability of museum collections through registration, accessioning, deaccessioning, and annual reporting.

Requirements
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Conditions of employment
  • Must provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Direct Deposit participation required.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more, visit www.dhs.gov/EVerify/.
  • You are required to complete training, obtain and maintain a government credit card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • Driver's License: This position requires the incumbent to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of their official duties. Selectee must hold and maintain a valid state driver's license throughout their employment in this position.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period, during which your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest will be evaluated.
This probationary period is an extension of the appointment process and therefore requires the agency to determine if continued employment would advance the public interest, meet the organization goals and mission of the agency, and/or otherwise promote the efficiency of the service. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, the agency will consider:
  • your performance and conduct;
  • the needs and interests of the agency;
  • whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency of the Government; and
  • whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Under applicable law, the employment of an individual serving a probationary or trial period automatically terminates when that period ends unless the agency affirmatively certifies, in writing, that the individual's employment should continue and that their appointment should be finalized. In the absence of agency action to affirmatively certify continued employment beyond the probationary or trial period, such appointments are terminated.
*Additional Requirements located under qualifications*
Qualifications
Requirements Continued...
Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-08/13/2026-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST state either "full-time" (or "40 hours a week") or "part-time" with the number of hours worked per week to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience. Failure to adequately provide information needed to determine number of hours worked in each position may result in that time not being credited when evaluating qualifying experience. For periods of time that reflect military service, the DD-214 or Statement of Service is sufficient to meet the full and/or part-time hours requirement as the service dates will be reflected.
Minimum Qualification Requirements: To qualify for this position, you must meet the following minimum qualifications:
Basic Education Requirements: In addition to the specialized experience requirements for this position, you must meet at least one of the following:
Degree: museum work; or in an applicable subject-matter field. You must submit transcripts.
-OR-
Combination of education and experience courses equivalent to a major, as shown above. Plus, appropriate experience or additional education. You must submit transcripts and your resume must reflect hours worked per week.
-OR-
Four years of experience that provided knowledge comparable to that normally acquired through the successful completion of the 4-year course of study as shown in A above. You must include number of hours worked per week in your resume.
-AND-
Specialized Experience: In addition to meeting one of the above requirements,you must possess at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-09 level in the federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience includes providing services to address the preservation and accountability needs of a museum collection; application of museum policy and ethics to a program; planning and execution of projects related to the field; and researching and interpreting cultural heritage. You must include hours worked per week in your resume.
-OR-
EDUCATION: Successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or three-years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in museum work or applicable subject-matter field. You must include a copy of your transcripts.
-OR-
Combination of education and experience. To qualify based on a combination of education and experience, you must have successfully completed graduate education beyond the second full year (36 semester hours or equivalent) that is directly related to the work of this position, and possess qualifying specialized experience. To calculate your qualifications, divide your total qualifying graduate semester hours in excess of 36 semester hours by 18 semester hours. Then divide your total months of qualifying specialized experience by 12 months. Add the two percentages together. The combined total must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. You must submit copies of your transcripts with your application and your resume must reflect hours worked per week.
Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Education
You must submit a copy of your transcript(s) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include your name, school name, grades, credit hours earned, major(s), grade point average or class ranking, and date the degree was conferred, if applicable. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not qualified for the position. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.
Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional info, refer to the Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Department of Education.
Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/about/initiatives/international-affairs/recognition-of-foreign-qualification
Additional information
Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.
All Department of Interior (DOI) employees, their spouses, and minor children may not acquire or retain any claim, permit, lease, small tract entry, or other rights granted by the Department in Federal lands, with limited exceptions. Additional ethics prohibitions can be found here: https://www.doi.gov/ethics/ethics-prohibitions.
Current surplus and current or former displaced Federal individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be well qualified for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Well qualified means that the applicant meets the following: OPM qualification standards for the position; all selective placement factors, where applicable; special qualifying conditions that OPM has approved for the position, where applicable; is physically qualified with reasonable accommodation, where appropriate to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry; and is rated by the organization at least at the well qualified level.
Telework: The duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
PCS INFORMATION: entitlements for payment of basic moving expenses, as required and to the extent allowed by the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) 302-3.101, are authorized for eligible applicants changing duty station when the change meets the distance tests as provided in FTR 302-1.1 and 302-2.6. All moving expenses are taxable.
Physical Demands: The work requires mental alertness, better than average manual dexterity, and mobility. Although primarily sedentary, inspections and operations evaluations involve activities demanding a certain amount of exertion such as walking, climbing, crawling, lifting of heavy objects, bending, stooping, and reaching. Working with collections can involve prolonged exposure to hazardous materials and equipment. Working with lighting systems, environmental control systems, and alarm systems can involve exposure to electrical current and the use of power tools with physical hazards.
Working Conditions: Most of the work is performed in an office and storage or laboratory facility. Frequent visits are made to the library, visitor center, and other museums in the park. The incumbent makes occasional field trips to the backcountry. Some travel to other facilities and museums, as well as to training and professional meetings is required.
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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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